Tony's Heart is Pepper
by VelvetRed
Summary: one-shots about the duo! Pepperony!
1. Nightmare

_Author's Note: I own nothing, Marvel does. I just loved the movie and adore this couple, so here is my little fic. I didn't want to make it to over the top. A little oneshot and I tried not to stray to off character. Don't be shy tell me what you think! Thanks! _

Nightmare

It was a rare event when Pepper Potts fell asleep on the job, an actual impossibility. However who could blame her one slip up, the last week had been complete chaos. All due to the fact that her employer had told the world that he was indeed, Iron Man. Her work load had tripled and her nights were longer and her hours of sleep were few. She had been working endlessly, sorting out important e-mails, replying to each one of them and setting up or in her case these days, rescheduling meetings. It seemed that Tony Stark had no time for anything else but being out and about saving the world from chaos. It was admirable but at times it was nerve racking. It was probably around this time that her mind started to wander away from her workload, and perhaps when she had accidently dozed off.

Her senses were returning to her slowly, the buzzing of her laptop, the soreness in her feet. She sleepily yanked them off with her kicking feet, her toes pushing the back of her shoe and then she proceeded to do the same with the other. She felt groggy, and her neck was stiff, probably from the horrible position she had dozed off in. Pepper started to become a bit more aware of her surroundings. The sounds were not those of her apartment, the light sound of traffic beyond her balcony window wasn't there. No it was quiet and she could faintly hear the sound of crashing waves in the distance. She was near the water, she mentally noted, it sounded like she was at work...in Tony Stark's extremely large mansion.

Her eyes shot open. 'Oh God!' she whispered, placing a hand to her face, trying to wriggle away the weariness of sleep that claimed her.

"Jarvis...?" she spoke, barely audible.

"Yes Miss Potts?"

"What time is it?" she asked, getting up from her chair.

"It is 3:43 am."

"What?! Oh how could I have fallen asleep, there is so much to do, I'll be so behind tomorrow and then—"

Her train of thought was lost when she thought she heard someone moaning. The first thing that came to mind was of course her Boss's craving appetite for the female company late at night. However she had noted that Tony had not brought any women after he had returned from his captivity.

'Well it was bound to happen...I suppose.' She mentally noted, but it didn't explain the sudden heaviness that had suddenly plagued her heart.

There it was again, but this time it was a moan it was like a cry of pain, some one panicking.

"Jarvis?"

She would asked the A.I though she could predict the answer to her question but she need reassurance.

"Yes Miss Potts."

"Where is Mr. Stark?"

"He is in his bedchamber, Miss Potts."

"...Is he...alone?" She asked hesitantly, praying secretly that he was.

"Affirmative."

She had let out a breath she didn't know she had been keeping. She slowly stepped out of her office and walked out into the spacious living room, and started to mount the stairs quietly. Her bare feet thudding on the cold surface of each step. As she climbed she heard the panicked cries, and the hoarse pleas. It wrenched her heart. He was having some kind of nightmare. She had finally arrived at the landing a few feet away from his room. The door was ajar and she could see that he was tossing and turning. Frantically grabbing his sheets, groaning and pleading. She entered the wide room and approached the bed. She could see signs of perspiration on his furrowed brow. His entire body was contorting and jolting. Before she knew what she was doing she had outstretched her hand.

"...Tony..." she placed her hand softly on his shoulder.

He jolted and his hand clasped her wrist painfully. She let out a yelp of surprise.

He was still not awake, but his grip was slowly crushing her wrist.

'He thinks he's being attacked...' she thought sadly.

"Tony, it's Pepper. Tony wake up...it's just a bad dream. Tony."

He heard her voice from a distance, a voice of an angel. What was she doing in this awful place. This horrid place where they kept pricking him and cutting into his flesh. The pain was intolerable, he wanted to die.

"Tony...It's Pepper. Please wake up."

There it was again, her voice. How comforting it was. He had taken advantage of how soothing her voice was. He had to wake up.

"Tony!"

He felt a warm and gentle reassuring touch right above his shoulder.

Pepper struggled to wake him, she gently shook him with her only free hand, the other in his tight grip.

His eyes finally flew open. His grip loosened on her instantly.

"Pepper." He said panicked. He quickly sat up and breathed heavily as he rested his head against the headboard.

"Are you okay? You were having a nightmare." Pepper asked looking on worriedly.

"I'm fine. Did I hurt you?" He asked looking at her redden wrist.

She smiled up at him. "No, it's fine."

"Sorry, Pepper." He said, his tone more sombre.

"I'll get you some water." Pepper grabbed a flask of water that was on his night stand and poured its contents into a glass.

Pepper gave him the glass. Tony took the glass with unsteady hands. Pepper could see that he was still shaken by the probable memories that he had relived in Afghanistan. Her heart was breaking for him. It was a rare occurrence to see her boss completely out of countenance.

He drank from the glass like a needy child, when he was done he handed it back to her.

"Thanks, that did me some good."

"Will that be all Mr. Stark?" She said it more affectionately then she cared to at that moment.

"What's this? No bed time story? I might throw a tantrum."

He was musing again. A good sign she thought.

"No. You'll be a good little boy and go back to sleep."

"You and I both know Miss Potts, that I'm not a good little boy, but I think I've hassled you enough for one night...by the way what on earth are you doing here at this time? Jarvis."

"You're up early, sir."

"Don't bet on it. What time is it?" he asked, looking quizzically at his assistant.

"It is now 4: 11 am, sir." The A.I answered.

"Miss Potts care to explain." He said grinning.

"I dozed off." She said rolling her eyes. "Anyways, if you don't mind I think I'm going to call it a night and go home, I'll see you in," she glanced down at her wrist watch, "in two hours."

She was motioning herself to leave.

"Pepper?"

She thanked God her back was turned. "Yes Mr. Stark?"

"One last thing."

She turned to look at him, he looked absolutely perfect.

"Yes?"

"Do you mind just staying until I fall back asleep?" he asked the look on his face unreadable.

Was he testing her? What was he playing at; she could cut him off with some kind of witty remark and be off to her own bed. But then her mind replayed what had happened earlier and she felt a twinge in her heart.

"Tony."

"Just for a few minutes, your presence is remarkably soothing Miss Potts." And with that he turned himself over and buried his face in his pillow.

Pepper stood there for a few moments, when courage had returned to her, she walked quietly up to the bed and sat on the edge. She could have sworn she heard Tony Stark sigh.

The next morning Pepper Potts woke up in a frenzy, she heard soft snoring which she quickly remembered came from her boss. She glanced at him and smiled to herself. He snores.

After this early morning escapade Pepper Potts would demand a raise, Oh she would she really would.

Of course she wouldn't because as much as she would like to deny it, he was all she had and she was all he had and that was enough for now.

End.


	2. Watson

_Author's Note: This is a little something, nothing big. Hope you guys enjoy it! Don't be shy tell me what you think! I own nothing, Marvel does!_

* * *

**Watson**

Pepper could not believe her ears...did he just admit to exactly what he was suppose to not admit. Typical, she thought to herself. It was so typical of him to pull something like this. He always had to do the exact opposite of what was asked of him. Pepper let out a sigh. She stared blankly up at the screen, all she could hear was screaming reporters and see flashes of cameras going off in every direction. There she stared at his face on the screen, looking smug of course. She let out another sigh this one more frustrated then the last. He was enjoying this, the sick bastard.

She slumped down on the closest chair breathlessly.

Pepper could hear in the distance the growing sounds of footsteps and flicking and simultaneous voiced questions outside the door. The heavy wooden door swung open swiftly with a large wave of commotion and in came her one and only employer, Tony Stark.

Closing the door abruptly and shutting out the panicked noise on the other side, he leaned his back against the door and let out a puff of air.

"There going crazy out there!" he stated looking towards the door. He walked up to his desk and opened the decanter of scotch and poured the contents in a glass and gulped it down savagely, in-taking a breath. Pepper fixedly stared at him.

Tony sensed her eyes on him and turned around. What he saw was her deep scowl.

"What the hell was that?" She said every word etched with bewilderment. Her finger pointed towards the screen. The '...the truth is...I am Iron Man.' Bit being replayed every couple of seconds.

Tony gawked at her. Then a grin played on his lips.

"Oh please, that was nothing. Everybody suspected it was me. I just told them what they already knew." He said casually, striding to his desk. He sat down on his chair and stifled a yawn and proceeded to lean back comfortably.

"Exactly, what people suspected, but NOW the whole world knows that it is you!" Pepper exclaimed wildly, her face almost matching the shade of her hair.

Tony straightened his back. "Whoa! You're gonna blow your lid off! Breathe."

Pepper was starting to feel upset at how coolly her boss was taking this, and having him tell her to calm down was making her temper escalade to a burning point.

"Tony that was a really dangerous stunt you pulled out there! " She said exasperation apparent over her usually smooth features.

Tony stood to his full height and walked over to stand before his angered assistant.

"It wasn't a stunt Pepper," He spoke more sombrely, " I've made missiles and weapons, things of destruction and I proudly displayed my name for the whole world to see, but now that I'm doing something that is made to help people, I have to pretend and hide? What sense does that have, Pepper. 

Trust me on this I won't let anything happen to you or anyone around me." He looked deeply into those blue orbs he had found so much comfort in the past few months and found that they had brimmed with withheld tears.

"Tony," Pepper uttered sadly, his name almost a word of desperation. "It's not me I'm worried about. You have no idea the danger you've put yourself in."

"I know." He took her hand in his, and held it there protectively. "But with you by my side, we'll make an invincible team. You can be my Robin to my Batman, or my Watson to my Sherlock. "He joked, trying to find a hint of a smile from his assistant. "Or my damsel-in-distress girlfriend to my superhero." He said rubbing his thumb over her bare knuckles affectionately.

Pepper retrieved her hands sheepishly, wiping away her tears.

"I think I prefer the Watson/Sherlock version." She teased, her morale growing brighter.

"How disappointing. " his shoulders slouched in apparent defeat.

"Why is that?" Pepper pressed on.

"Platonic. Utterly platonic. Can at least flirt with you Watson?"

"Tony." Her tone annoyed. He grinned.

"Fine. I'll take that as a yes." His grin broadened, mischief gleaming in his dark sultry eyes.

"Is that all Mr. Stark?" She asked. Pepper's game face on once more.

"That will be all Watson." He answered.

Pepper chuckled, she turned away from him and busied herself with the now ever growing list of things to do for her 'Sherlock', and extremely aware of his eyes on her.

End.


	3. Gift

The months that followed his return after his captivity had been nothing but life altering. Everything started to shift in range of importance. His desire for female companionship was almost non-existent now, apart from his assistant , however that was strictly a different type of companionship altogether. Pepper Potts was probably the only person that was closer to him then any other person on earth. She knew everything about him, everything. She was there when he would wake up in the early mornings, there during breakfast, lunch, dinner, and on rare occasions when he called it a night. She was the only constant thing in his life that never changed or for so many years he had ignored...until these past months. There was a transformation perhaps more on his part then hers, or what he could tell.

Here he sat tinkering away in his workshop, at least trying to tinker away. However to no avail, his mind was elsewhere. He had noticed one of Pepper's pens on his workbench and that just send him spiralling into a daze about Pepper Potts. Her strawberry blond hair, soft and fragrant, like the flowery freshness of spring, he noted. Her light complexion soft, he was sure was very soft to the touch. He thought of how his hand was softly pressed against her bare back that one night and it felt silky and dare he say it...right. That mind blowing blue dress that to this day made him gape in awe and admiration. How long has she been under his nose and not once had he noticed her, he had to be thousands of miles away, have a hole drilled in his chest to actually realize that she even existed. God how he had missed her those long three months, more then anyone that he could remember. He would spend sleepless nights replaying there superficial banters, had he always been so blind so stupid to not appreciate a woman who stood by his side for almost a decade and hell she wasn't even his girlfriend or wife. No woman would have lasted as long as she had. Her stubbornness, her will power, the red hair to match her temper when he riled her up, he grinned, he loved her best when she was feisty. Her clicking heels, there was something about the way she clicked her heels that soothed him, the soft clicks on his ceramic floors was only hypnotic when Pepper was the one clicking-and clacking up the stairs. It was a strange thought, but he thought of his mother. That sound was often associated with his mother. Her soft brown hair cascading around her shoulders, her dark eyes that reflected her adoration for him. No woman had ever looked at him like that. Her warm smile that comforted him almost instantly. In a way Pepper resembled his mother in more ways then one. They both wore ridiculously high heeled shoes, both were the perfect image of professionalism and sophistication and both loved him. He knew how Pepper felt, it was obvious now, but she was relentless and would not back down on her charade and he would not press her on the issue. Eventually he would become the ideal man for her...he just had to deserve her somehow.

Pepper Potts was early for work that bright Tuesday morning. The sun was hot but the breeze was crisp and tempting. She would sit outside on the terrace and check e-mail on her laptop, she thought. She greeted Jarvis and the A.I greeted her humbly. She asked Jarvis if Tony was awake, and she was well informed that her employer had been awake since five in the morning. She couldn't understand that man, he could live with barely any hours of sleep, her on the other hand she needed her seven hours or she would be a walking and talking zombie. She buzzed Tony and was not surprised that he did not answer back. Typical.

She walked into the kitchen and brewed two coffees, as she always did. One for herself, three sugars, and one for Tony, black. She sipped her own coffee and set it on the counter. She took her boss's mug 

in one hand and the other hand held the very detailed and busy schedule of Tony Stark. Pepper already knew that the majority of the days events would be postponed or cancelled, as usual. She let out a sigh and walked carefully into the living room, she glanced up and did a double take on what she was seeing. Pepper had never seen so many beautiful flowers in her life. Roses of all of colors and sizes, lilies, and gardenias, vibrant reds and yellows, creamy whites and bright oranges surrounding the room. It was the most ridiculous and the most beautiful thing she had ever seen in her employer's home. The burning question was what were all these flowers doing in here and who on earth would send Tony so many flowers. Was he dead? She panicked slightly and her mind started racing on if she had not checked the news, had iron man met his doom. She snapped back to reality when she heard footsteps the reached the landing, and there he was her not-so-dead-boss grinning wildly at her.

"Tony what are all these flowers doing in your living room?" Pepper asked still a bit astonished.

"Do you like them?" He asked the question seemed a bit double edged to Pepper.

"Yes of course. But who are they for?" She asked completely perplexed.

His grin widened. "You."

To Be Continued...


	4. Birthday

She stared wildly at him, as if he had grown two heads at that very moment. She felt her cheeks burn up and her heart beating as fast as she thought it could. Pepper knew this old routine well enough, he would say all the right things and do all the right things...within context of course. As for the outcome, simple, this was it. Pepper Potts losing a bit of inner control, however it was nothing this redhead couldn't handle. She regulated her heart slowly by slowly reminding herself to strictly behave professionally, this was her job after all.

"Me?" she tried to make the word as innocent and as unaffected as possible.

"Oh come on Pepper, the blush your wearing is not for me is it?" Tony said his eyes on her flushed features. He advanced a few strides towards her, still grinning.

"No actually my complexion was a bit pale this morning so I decided to apply some, so I'll take it you like it Mr. Stark." She smiled sweetly. Tony let a half smile dance on his lips.

She was quick Tony had to give her that. That woman had comebacks and snarky remarks up her sleeve at any giving time.

"Ms. Potts you know how to wound a man. So I'll take it you like the flowers then." He walked past her and plopped himself on the couch, arms behind his head. Pepper followed and sat to his side and took out her laptop. Pepper could feel Tony's stare following her every motion.

"Put it away Pepper." Tony placed his hand and closed the laptop shut. Pepper looked up at her Boss quizzically. Before he could explain or speak Pepper answered his unanswered question. "The flowers are beautiful Tony. Thank you." Pepper smiled humbly.

"So you think that thanking me for the flowers is gonna save you from a day off, huh." Tony flashed a grin at his assistant.

"Day off? Tony? I have so much—"

"It's your birthday Pepper Potts. I'm already a pain in the ass boss the least I can do is give my assistant a day off."

Virginia Potts could have never imagined those words escaping Tony's lips. Her eccentric , playboy, womanizing Boss would ever remember the day she was born. She could have just burst out crying, after almost a decade of working by his side she could not believe that he had finally remembered her birthday. Her mind registered the words but her heart felt like it had imploded within itself, she wanted to encircle him with her arms and just let everything come undone, but then her reasoning came back to her and flooded her at full force, she put the lid on her emotions back on. Close call, she thought.

Tony had not missed the spark in her eyes that had purely lasted five seconds, he knew he had moved her in some small way, but knowing his assistant she was likely not to cave in to his new found memory drive. Damn her professionalism at the moment, he cursed.

"Well better late then never, ten long years and you finally remembered my birthday." Her blasted mask was back on. Tony felt a twinge of irritation. This was not what he had hoped for at all, he was thinking along the lines of some kind of teary revelation and 'how it means a lot to me' type of conversation. However all he did get was a simple sarcastic comment about how tardy he was at remembering. What a cheap shot that was.

That had only made Tony Stark adore her all the more.

"Ten years?! Felt like twenty...to be honest." Tony gestured a bit dramatically looking at her directly. Reading her features to get any hint of anything really apart from all this Mr. Stark B.S. and professional torture tactic.

"Well you should be grateful that you managed to keep me for this long, Tony. Not anyone would like to drag you into the shower and shoo off your 'lady friend s'." She said spitefully avoiding his glare.

"Does it bother you that much?" Tony inquired sheepishly his game face on. "I thought you would appreciate to shoo me off into that steamy shower, figured it was your favourite part of the day."

"Tony. Can we be serious."

Tony grinned inwardly. She was calling him 'Tony' that was a big move in the right direction.

"For you Potts I can try to be."

Pepper blushed wildly not realizing how what she had just said had sounded.

"No-No...that's not what- I meant to say that we should get back to work."

"What kind of 'work' did you have in mind?" Tony asked mischievously, grin widening. Leaning closer to his assistant. Pepper pressed her hand against his chest trying to shove him away gently. "Mr. Stark, you need to get ready you have a meeting in less then an hour." With that Pepper abruptly got up, laptop under her arm. Tony nearly collided with the cushioned couch. His eyes followed her knowingly. He slowly got up and met her at his full height. He took her by the shoulders, eyed her lips and then her blue orbs and again her lips.

"Pepper Potts, that damn meeting can wait. I'm going to give you the best gift you ever had!" And with such swiftness he had lurched Pepper towards him, her lips crashing into his.


	5. Heart

She could not contain it. God help her she did enough containing for a decade and she wasn't holding back any longer.

When Pepper Potts felt the warmth and softness of his lips crash into hers everything went up in smoke. She was never kissed this way, hell she never felt this way about a kiss. It was everything combined, gentle and hungry mixed with a savageness she couldn't explain. The next thing she knew she had dropped her laptop sending it crashing unto the floor in a bang. That didn't stop them they just kept kissing. Her hands found his soft hair and his hands found her waist.

And then she stopped. Pepper Potts froze.

Pepper broke the kiss and Tony stopped immediately, both stood breathing jaggedly. He searched her eyes, he smirked perhaps a nervous habit when he was uncertain, and she still just kept on staring at him.

"I need to go."

Pepper walked past him in such a hurry her presence could have easily been fabricated for the exception of leaving behind the trail of her flowery perfume to tease his senses and question his memory on fact vs. fiction.

Pepper nearly ran to her car yanking the door shut. She simply sat there confused and her heart racing. She placed her feverish forehead on the cool feel of the stirring wheel. God it felt soothing, her face felt like she was going to catch fire at any given moment. Then her mind drifted off to that kiss that nearly imploded her heart. What had she just done? She knew what she did, she kissed her boss, but at that moment she kissed him as if he was a man a man she could be with. The man she wanted the man that would tease about how she spend too much on shoes, or on how she was a neat freak and rambled on too much. A man that would love her when she was sick in bed with a red nose, a man that was not her boss. It could never happen, it would never happen.

_Why?_

That stupid little voice in her head would say, and that was when she started with her mental list of pros and cons. It was always the same thing. Pros: she loved him, she believes he might feel the same, he's handsome devilishly so, sexy, funny, goodhearted...with motives. No scratch that, she thought, he was a good man a very good man she knew that. Cons: Herself, she could never live up to that type of life, to be Tony Stark's girlfriend was liking being Katie Holmes to Tom Cruise, her life would spiral into chaos and Pepper Potts did not do chaos. Her little inner voice would suggest that it was fear that held her back. Maybe it was fear, fear that she may not be good enough, may lose him, may love him too much and in the process be disappointed. She couldn't bare it. Pepper had loved this man for almost a decade, all of him, his flaws , his habits everything about him she loved. Even the things she couldn't stand, like his loud music and his lady friends and his overly active sex life...or was and no longer is. Everything about him she loved to the very tiniest bit and if she was to lose it she would die, she knew she would never be the same again. Her stupid head always had to get in the way.

Why had his attention all of a sudden shift on her why on earth did he have to be so per—

Pepper snapped back to reality in a rush. She took a deep breath in and heard soft knocking on her side door window. She looked up and found Tony looking down at her concern etched on his face.

She instinctively brought the window down with a light pressure of her finger. She looked up at him almost self-consciously.

"Come back inside Pepper." It was more of a pleading sort of voice then an order.

Pepper looked in the distance and answered him solemnly.

"I can't. That shouldn't have happened."

Tony smiled warmly, she was too much sometimes. "I know," Pepper looked up at him instantly and he noted how she looked almost, could he say it hurt, he smiled affectionately and opened the car door to the driver's seat. "You shouldn't have walked out on me." Her hurt was replaced but a slight slouch of her tense shoulders and a small smile.

"Tony..."

He reached his open hand to her his eyes pleading for her to take it. She glanced at it, it looked calloused and strong and warm and safe. God she wanted to feel safe...but was he safe, could Tony Stark ever be considered as safe? Her heart said yes but her head said no. She always obeyed her head. She looked up at Tony once more, his soft brown eyes melting into her blue ones.

She told her head to piss off.

She delicately placed her hand in his he gave it a protective and affectionate squeeze. She stood up and he closed the car door behind her.

They walked back to the mansion in slow steady strides. "Maybe I came on to strong, huh."

Pepper smiled and squeezed his hand. "Maybe just a little."

He smiled and caressed her knuckles with his thumb. "I think I owe you a new laptop."

He let out a soft chuckle when her beautiful lips formed themselves into a little 'o', she had forgotten about that.

It was safe to say that for once her head was wrong, Pepper thought as she walked inside the mansion hand and hand with the singing yes of her heart.


End file.
